Tool.



UNITED STATES PATENT y OFFICE.

ROLLIN ABELL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNEASSIGN- MENTS, OF ONE-THIRD TO SOLOMON A. CAMPBELL AND ONE-THIRD TOEDWARD T. KIM- BALL, BOTH OF BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS.

TOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patenteanav. 5,1907.

Application filed October 19. 1906. Serial No. 339.644.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, RoLLrN ABELL, of Boston, in the county of Suffolkand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Tools,

5 of which the following -is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in tools.

In particular, it relates .to tools intended to transform an alternatingforward and backward action into a rotatory action in continuousdirection. It is here shown as it may be embodied in a wrench, in whichthe jaws of the wrench are vnot set in a fixed and'rigid relation w'ith'respect to the handle of the wrench, but in which the handle be placedin any desired or convenient angular position about the axis ofthelturning. After being 5 turnedrrom that'lrelation the handlereturnedl to the same positioim "r to'jany other convenient position toeect a furth'er rotation, by a simple ,motion without removing the jaws,and will instantly seize the nut orV other object which is to be turned.i The drawings show several forms in which the invention may beembodied.

Figure 1 sliows the head of. a wrench embodying the invention. Fig. 2shows the same sectioned on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows thesame sectioned on the 5 line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4' shows differentwrench head embodying the invention. Fig. 5 shows a section of thesameonline 5`5 of Fig. 4.

The object of the invention is-to simplify the conv are eliminated, anda simple annular groove i's provided in their place. It has also beennecessary in prior de- D vices to provide some special means forpreventing sidewise displacementof the barrel. In the present device allsuch means are eliminated and the said groove serves that purpose, -incoperation with a spherical-shaped memberhereinafter described, whichtakes the place'of 5 the cylindrical rolls heretofore used. This sphereis seated looselyin the stock in a straight round hole formed therein.in the same plane as the groove on the barrel and intersecting thegroove nearly tangentially'. A contracting throat i's thus formed wherethe hole and D groove intersect. The sphere is normally pushed gentlytoward and into this throat by a spring, and is thus i in irictionallcontact with both barrel and stock.l When Referring to the drawings:represents the head of al wrench, which as here represented is. integralwiththe handle 11, the stock being in the form of a iat'bar in which abarrel 12 is set rotatably. The socket 13 in the barrel may be ofany-desired shape or size. An annular groove 14 is formed intheperiphery of this barrel. A hole15 pierces the stock of the Wrench inthe same plane with the groove and communicates therewith, as clearlyshown in Fig. '3. This hole is preferably of circular bore, into which aball 16 its loosely, projecting also into said groove; and the groove isformed so that in cross section it has the shape o f an arc of a circleof the' same siz asthe'ball lfand the bore of the hole 15. The

hole is bored so that the barrel does not cut open the full diameter ofthe hole;an d the diameter of the barrel 12 at thebottoin of thegroove14 is such that it projects slightly into the bore of the hole15. Thisforns a contracting throat into which the ball is yieldingly pressed bya spring 17, seated against-ascrew plug 18.` As the hole containing theball is perpendicular to the direction of the axis of the barrel 12, theengagement of the ball simultaneously with the groove-and with the sidewalls of the hole prevents the barrel 12 from slipping out of the holein which it is journaled.

The description thus far is applicable to one side of the wrenchhead, asrepresented, for example, on the right hand half of 3. Precisely.similar arrangements may b e made on the other half, the' ho1e'15passing entirely through the wrench `head and containing two balls, asrepresented in 3, one on either side of the center, each fitting thebore of the hole and engaging in the groove 14'.- An attachment may bevpro- 'vided for throwing one ofthe balls out of contact with thebarrel, and this is represented bya key 19, having interiorly a cam 20in position to engage either oneI of' vthe balls 16 and force it outwarda short distance,

against its spring 17, as represented at the left in Fig. 3; and thiskey is set pivotally in the wrench head,

and on its outer portionhas a button or handle 2], by:

which it may be turned; and this button is preferably form to indicatethe direction in which the parts Within l wrench permanently adjusted inthis manner until the operator sets it lotherwise by turning the button21.

The key may be set either in the position shown in Fig. 3; or theexactly opposite position in which the other ball 16 is retracted, andthe ball shown retracted is in contact with the barrel l2;I or aposition intermediate between these two, in which both balls are incontact, with the barrel.

The wrench may be operated in either of these positions. When in thefirst position, as represented in Fig. 3, a movement of the handle tothe right about the axis of the socket 13 causes the ball 16 onthe-right hand side, which is in contact with thel barrel 12 where theball fits intov the groove 14, to roll to the left; but the contractingdiameter oi the space to the leit, owing to the intersection of thebarrel with the hole 15, prevents its passage in that direction, andcauses the ball to become engaged firmly by frictional contact betweenthe barrel and the wrench head; and when in this position the frictionbetween' the ball and the parts with which it is in contact prevents'the ball from rotatingV 'in situ, so that a clutch is formed betweenthe barrel and the wrench head in which the ball is the active memberand is in a state of compression between the barrel and wrench head. Thecompression occurs along a line which constitutes substantially acomplete circle around the ball. Material advantages follow from thisarrangement. The spherical shape of the member under compression,combined with the application of the thrust in circular line surroundingthe sphere, renders the ball practicallyindestructible under any stressthat -may be applied in practice; and the circular line of its bearingupon the barrel and upon the wrench head prevents the ball from making adent in either of them as if there were merely a point contact, thusdecreasing theoperative eliciency of the wrench by marring eithersurface. It is understood, of course, that a hardened steel ball isemployed and that the adjacent surfaces of the wrench head and barrelare hardened.

When the handle is turned in the opposite direction the ball isrolledaway from the contracting throat, the spring yielding a little,and the handle turns freely to the left without engaging the barrel.Thus, the stock engages the barrel forcefully whenever the handle isswung to the right; turns freely without engaging the same whenever thehandle is swung to the lei't; and

will engage again at whatever position the left motion parts will engagewhen turned in either direction, the

ball on the right engaging when the handle is turned toward theright,the ball on the left running free; andthe ball on the left engaging whenthe handle is turned toward the left, the ball on the right runningfree. j

4 and 5 show a wrench with adjustable socket. In this figure the barrelis marked 12 and projects toward one side of the wrench, in which a bolt25 is journaled, having screws at each end 26 threaded in oppositedirections and having at each end a knurled head 27. An annular groove28 in the center of the bolt is engaged by a lug or set screw 29, Inordinary use the screw fits loosely within the groove, thus preventingthe bolt from slipping out in either direction; but if desiredA it canbe screwed rmly against the bolt, in which case the jaws will be lockedand cannot be loosened by a chance rubbing against one of the nuts 27..aws 30 are mounted on the bolt, onebeing located so as to engage thescrew portion at each end of the bolt. Turning of the screw in onedirection moves the jaws together, and turning it in the oppositedirection moves them apart; while the operation of the wrench handleupon the barrel on which the bolt and jaws are mounted is the same aspreviously described.

I claim: I

1. A tool, comprising a stock; a barrel, having its body portionjournaled therein and having its end formed as a face of the tool therebeing Within the journalV an annular groove in one part and a groove inthe same plane therewith in the other part intersecting it.nearlytangentially;

2. The combination of a stock having a cylindrical opening with a barrelhaving a cylindrical body journaled therein; there being in the journalan annular groove in one part, and in the other part a groove in thesame plane intersecting it nearly tangentially; with a rolling memberlocated partly in each groove and forced yieldingly toward theirintersection.

3. The combination of a stock; a barrel journaled therein and having anannular groove within its journaled surface; there being a hole in thestock intersecting the groove nearly tangentially; a ball located partlyini-the hole and partly in the groove; and a spring pushing it towardtheir intersection.

4. ',ihe combination of a stock; a barrel journaled therein; there beinga groove in each part in its journaled surface, intersecting nearlytangentally, one being annular; with a rolling member located partly ineach groove and forced yieldingly toward their intersection; the sidesof one groove heilig formed to inclose the rolling member looselytherein.

5. 'lhe combination of a stock; a barrel rotatable and movable endwisetherein; one of these having an annular groove and the other a groove inthe same plane intersecting it nearly tangentially ;with a rollingmember located partly in each groove and forced yieldingly toward theirintersection, thereby latching the parts and normally preventing endwisemotion of the barrel. i

6. The combination of a stock having a cylindrical opening, and having acylindrical hole intersecting said opening nearly tangentially; a ballin the hole, projecting less than half its diameter therefrom into saidopening; und a barrel rotatable in said cylindrical opening and havingan annular groove in which the ball may engage.

7. A tool, comprising a stock portion; a barrel rotatable therein,having an annular groove externally; there being a hole in the stock inthe same plane with the groove and intersecting it nearly tangentially;spherical members located on each side of the intersection, ttngintoboth hole and groove; and means to retract each spherical membertlwrefrom independently.

8. A tool, comprising a stock portion; a barrel rotatable therein,having an annular groove externally; there being a hole in the stock inthe same plane with the groove and los 4intersecting it nearlytangentially; spherical members located on each side of theintersection, fitting into both hole and groove; and a cam adjacentarranged to engage and retract either spherical member.

9. A tool, comprising a stock portion a barrel rotatable therein. havingan annular groove externally; therebeng a hole in the stock in the sameplane with 'the groove and intersecting it nearly tangentially; locatedon each side of the intersection, fitting into both l0 hole and groove;and a cam adjacent arranged to engage spherical members and retracteither spherical member, said cam being mounted on a shaft projectingexternally and having a handle and visible indicator externally toadjust and indicate the direction of action of the tool.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in L5 presence of twowitnesses.

, ROLL'IN ABELL. j Witnesses:

SOLOMON A. CAMPBELL, EVERETT E,"K1uN'1..

